“Iunderstand, Daddy.”
Trask’sdaughter?
“I’m gonnatake my position with the others. Look sharp. The real party is gonna startwithin the next twenty minutes,”Trask said.
I had no time towonder why the hell I could hear Trask’s daughter. I had to warn my family. Ipulled out my phone and called Alasdair, our head of security, who picked upthe call immediately.
“I saw you andthe queen leave. Is everything all right?” he asked.
“No, Ali,” Igrowled. “We have a code black. I repeat, a code black.”
“Where’s thequeen?”
“On her way backto you.”
“Okay, talk tome.”
“The protestersat the front gate are only there to create a distraction. Trask is planningsome sort of attack. I think he’s got a strike team assembled somewhere else,nearby.”
“How do youknow?”
“I overheardTrask talking to one of the protesters. They’re going to send a volley offlares toward the castle within the next twenty minutes. That’s when Trask’ssoldiers will move in.
“I’m on it,”Alasdair replied. “Keep your phone handy in case I need you and keep thisinformation to yourself until I or Colton say otherwise. I’d rather handle thisquietly, without interrupting the gala.”
Colton was headof the human side of our protection detail and worked under Alasdair. He was exFBI. Tough, resourceful, and although human, one hundred percent loyal to thefamily. His relationship with my parents went back even farther than New EraDay. In fact, Colton knew about the Cauld Ane for years and kept our secreteven from the FBI.
“Understood,” Ireplied and hung up.
I took a deepbreath and thought about what to do next. I should probably have gone back tothe party and joined the others as if nothing was happening, but my motherwould have known something was up the moment she laid eyes on me, and Alasdairwas clear in his instructions to keep my mouth shut. My thoughts turned back toTrask’s daughter and why I was able to hear her.
Why would hisblood try to warn us of an attack?
There was onlyone way to find out, but it was a bad idea. A really bloody bad idea.
I moved closerto the front gates, staying hidden along the tree line until I was as close asI could get without losing my cover. The disorientation of the psychic brainscrambles I’d been experiencing grew stronger with each step. Once in position,I focused my mind and reached out to Trask’s daughter.
“Hello? Canyou hear me?”
“Holy crap,” shesqueaked out loud.
“You don’tneed to speak. I can hear your thoughts,”I replied.
“Okay, if yousay so, but I’m kind of freaking out right now.”
“Don’t beafraid. I heard your warning. Youweretrying to send us a warning,right?”
“Yes, yes.That’s right! There are soldiers positioned all around your castle and they’regoing to attack any minute now. You need to protect yourselves.”
“Why are youtelling me?”
“Because Ithink what they’re doing is wrong, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Her thoughtsseemed pure, but as a member of the Hand of the Cross, and Trask’s owndaughter, she could be capable of high deception. I needed to look her in theeye to know if she was telling the truth.
“What’s yourname?”I asked.
“Lennox.”
